


Our Marks Don't Define Us

by canthelpmyselves



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Barry Allen Isn't The Flash, But He Gets Better, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Oliver is a jerk, Oliver is the Arrow, Parental Len and Mick, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:27:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23519953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canthelpmyselves/pseuds/canthelpmyselves
Summary: Oliver always knew his soulmate would be graceful, beautiful and demure. The perfect wife. Barry doesn't care about soulmates. He just wants his family safe and free.
Relationships: Barry Allen & Oliver Queen, Barry Allen/Tommy Merlyn, Mick Rory/Leonard Snart
Comments: 19
Kudos: 99





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The only episodes of Arrow I have ever watched are the crossover events. What little I know about CW's Oliver Queen, Felicity Smoak and John Diggle came from those episodes as well as the few team-ups on The Flash, so if they are out of character, that is all on me.

Soulmates had been the topic of thousands of studies over the last five decades or so. Not everything about the mystical connection between two fated people was understood, but for the most part, society had figured out the basics. Each person had two marks. One was their soulmark, a perfect match to someone, somewhere. The other was a designation as to whether the bond was romantic or platonic.

Those with the platonic bond-mark were called ‘free souls’. They didn’t have a fated romantic partner. They considered themselves the lucky ones. Free souls felt they had the better deal because they were able to form bonds with whomever they chose, without risking being snubbed or shamed. 

Those with a romantic bond-mark were called ‘destined souls’. Society tended to glamorize those bonds. It was a supposed fairy tale where both people would meet, fall in love immediately, and live happily ever after. And if your soulmate just happened to be a drunkard, or abusive, well, you were expected to either make the best of a bad situation, or be alone. Heaven forbid anyone desecrate the sanctity of a romantic soul bond by being with someone else. Society had very conservative views on those forming relationships with anyone not their soulmate, even if there were no actual laws against it. 

Oliver Queen was born rich. His parents provided him with anything and everything he could ever want. He was groomed from childhood to take over Queen Consolidated. He was sent to the best schools and educated in business and etiquette. His various (and many) love affairs were kept hushed up, thanks to excellent PR and a company of lawyers.

Oliver had known, since he was barely able to even comprehend such things, that his soulmate was going to be the most loyal, gentle, sophisticated woman in the entire world. She would be graceful, beautiful, and demure. The perfect wife. The perfect hostess. The perfect soulmate.

The five years he spent shipwrecked on the island had changed many things about Oliver’s personality and expectations. He was colder. More methodical. Harder. The one thing that did not change was his ideas about soulmates. It was something he had clung to as he struggled to survive that hellish place. Somewhere out there, a beautiful, modest and amicable woman waited for him.

***

Barry Allen had never given much thought to who his soulmate would be. As far as Barry was concerned, they were some faceless, nameless, vague shadow in the back of his mind. Barry focused most of his time and mind on proving his father’s innocence while also keeping his other family out of trouble. Easier said than done, to be honest.

When Barry was 6, his mother was killed and his father convicted of the murder. No one listened when Barry tried to tell them about an intruder. Not until he was in his fifth foster home in three years and he met Mick Rory, who was sixteen years older than him. Mick was what they called a ‘repeat offender’. He had an obsession with fire that made others nervous or just downright scared. Mick lived in a rundown house across the street from Barry’s foster family and they met the day some bullies pinned Barry to the ground and began punching him. Mick got involved, mostly out of boredom (and the desire to not have the cops called to the area for public disturbance). After that, Barry began following the older man around. Partly out of self-preservation, partly because of his own loneliness.

Within a month the two of them were inseparable. Barry saw Mick as a sort of father figure and Mick found he liked having someone to care for. When Mick’s soulmate, Leonard Snart, got out of jail and moved in, Barry latched onto him, as well. Sure, they were criminals, but they treated him with affection and both men believed him when he told them about his dad. They had known Doc Allen in jail and knew he just wasn’t the murdering type. 

When his current foster family divorced and he was about to be moved to a new home, Len stepped in and arranged for him to move in with them. For the first time since his mom was killed, Barry felt safe and loved. Barry studied hard, skipped a grade or three and graduated early from high school. Len and Mick made sure he went to college and got an education. (He never asked how they swung tuition.)

Once he finished college, he landed a job with Mercury Labs. Len, Mick, and Lisa (Len’s younger sister who had moved in while Barry was in high school) continued to pull heists, but they were even more successful now. Mostly because Barry had taught them how to cover their tracks better and leave virtually no evidence behind. It wasn’t that he approved of their careers so much as he just didn’t want the rest of his family to end up back in Iron Heights.

Going to Starling wasn’t exactly Barry’s idea of a fun trip. He had heard the stories about the Vigilante. Barry figured any city that had a serial killer on the loose was one to avoid. So, when Mrs. McGee, his boss, told Barry he was going to be transporting some new tech to the developmental department of Queen Consolidated, he was less than thrilled. Even more so when he ended up getting mugged outside the train station.

That was how he found himself sitting at the SCPD, giving a statement to Detective Lance when Oliver Queen and his assistant, Felicity Smoak, showed up. Queen made vague suggestions of industrial espionage which just pissed Barry off. He hadn’t even known what was in the case, much less had a clue as to who had knocked him out and stolen it! After Queen’s fourth veiled insult in an hour, Barry had grabbed his phone and dialed quickly. He was beyond done with the billionaire CEO. 

“I got mugged. Think you can do some digging and find out who might have done it?” he asked as soon as the line was answered. 

“Where are you?” Len demanded. 

“SCPD,” Barry answered, ignoring the glares he was getting from Detective Lance and Queen. “I’m about to leave, though. Big Belly burger and then I’m finding a hotel to check in to.”

“We’ll be there in five hours.”

Barry hung up and shoved his phone back into his pocket. “May I go now?” he asked the detective.

“Who was that?” Queen demanded.

“A friend,” Barry said between gritted teeth.

“Young man...” the detective began.

“Sir, I’ve given you my statement. I have cooperated fully. If I’m a suspect, book me. If not, I’m done for the day,” Barry interrupted, turning to the detective. “I am tired, hungry and I have eight stitches in my head. I’m not leaving town, just getting some food and rest. You have my phone number and I’ll send you a message when I book a room.”

Detective Lance sighed and nodded. “Just make sure I can reach you if I need to.”

Barry nodded and stood up. His legs were a bit shaky, but he ignored the hand Miss Smoak reached out to steady him. He walked slowly out of the SCPD and headed down the sidewalk to the bus stop. 

“Mr. Allen!”

Barry rolled his eyes but stopped and turned to face the other man. “What?” he asked stiffly.

Oliver glared at the young scientist, growing more and more annoyed by his lack of respect or fear. “Who did you call?” he demanded.

“Someone I trust,” Barry answered. 

“I want a name,” Oliver insisted.

“And I want a working sonic screwdriver,” Barry retorted, rolling his eyes. “Look, if my... friend finds out who mugged me, I’ll let Detective Lance know. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m almost desperate for a double bacon burger and a chocolate milkshake.”

Barry turned and walked away, ignoring the eyes boring into the back of his head. He didn’t begin to relax until a sharp knock on his hotel door alerted him to visitors several hours later. Seeing both Mick and Len walk into the room loosened the knot of anxiety he was feeling and he literally threw himself into Len’s arms and sobbed with relief.

***

Oliver watched from the roof of the parking garage across the street as Barry was embraced by the dark-haired man. Leonard Snart and Mick Rory. He recognized both men. They had pulled a heist in Starling five months ago, only got away clean because he was occupied with a drug bust out in the glades. Rory stepped into the hotel room and placed a suitcase onto one bed before walking over and tugging Barry away from Snart and hugging him. Snart shed his coat and moved to one of the beds and sat down, his back against the headboard. Barry moved away from Rory and crawled in to cuddle against the thief’s side while Rory began unpacking.

Oliver left his position and headed back to the foundry. His suspicions about Barry Allen just increased tenfold. 

***

Once Barry was asleep Len moved across to the other bed and curled up with Mick. Mick slung an arm across Len’s waist and nuzzled his neck. “Someone hurt our boy,” Mick growled in a low voice.

Len nodded as he relaxed. “We’ll hit the bars and ask around. We should have a name by tomorrow night.” Mick was the love of Len’s life. Ever since they met in juvie and realized they were destined, they had been pretty much inseparable. When Barry came along, things got even better. 

_To be honest, Len had been extremely shocked to walk into Mick’s current home and find this skinny little bundle of excitable, not-quite-ten year old geek speeding around the kitchen, putting together dinner. It only took a few seconds for the kid to introduce himself, tell him Mick had gone to the store for beer, there was a change of clothes waiting for him in the bedroom and that he was making Len’s favorite, lasagna, for dinner. All in one breath. Sensing the kid wasn’t a threat (seriously, he was like a little yorkie pup with big green eyes), Len had showered and changed before returning to the kitchen._

_By the time Mick got back, Len was sitting at the kitchen table, helping Barry with his algebra homework. Barry had blushed bright red, but looked very happy as Mick grabbed onto Len and kissed him passionately. As soon as dinner was over, Barry hugged Mick and reluctantly left and crossed the street._

_“Taking in strays now?” Len had teased._

_“He’s Doc Allen’s kid,” Mick had told him. “He ain’t got nobody but me, Lenny.”_

_Len watched the kid pause and take a deep breath before reluctantly going into the ranch style house. “Us,” he said quietly. “He’s got us.”_

_They both adored Barry. Lisa liked to joke that he was practically their kid. Barry had beamed at her the first time she said that and shyly admitted that, in his mind, they were his family. There wasn’t anything the two men wouldn’t do for Barry. When he was in danger of being sent to yet another foster home, Len and Mick didn’t even hesitate. A few fake IDs, a couple of hefty bribes, and Barry was theirs. The relief in his eyes when they told him was all the thanks they would ever need._

“Eight stitches, Lenny,” Mick growled again. “They get it back tenfold.”

Len nodded, already planning what they would do to the mugger.


	2. Chapter 2

Oliver finished reading over the file Dig had handed him and sat back. There was more to Barry Allen than he had originally assumed. His father was serving a life sentence for the murder of his mother. He had bounced around foster homes for three years before somehow ending up in the care of Leon Winters. A bit (okay, a lot) of digging revealed it to be a little used alias for Leonard Snart. Why would two thieves foster a child? There was something very suspicious and very creepy about a couple of twenty-six year old hardened criminals taking in a pre-teen. What kind of abuse had Barry suffered at their hands? 

After reading Barry’s history, reviewing what Dig had found about his college years and employment history, Oliver was almost completely convinced Barry was no thief, even if his ‘friends’ were. Snart and Rory were known for art and gem heists, not industrial espionage. Maybe they were branching out, or hired to do the job?

Whatever the case may be, Oliver had a strong urge to rescue Barry from them. First, he would need to get Barry away from them and somewhere safe. He knew just the place.

***

The first thing Barry noticed was that his head was foggy, so he knew he’d been drugged. There was a sharp pain in the back of his neck, probably an injection site. It wasn’t the first time that had happened over the years. James Jesse had kidnapped him once. Richie Santini had tried it twice. Oh, and he couldn’t forget Alexa. That crazy bitch had kidnapped him and tried to force Len to marry her in exchange for his safe return. She had still been on the phone giving her demands to Len when Barry walked in, having escaped by himself. 

Barry sighed and quickly ran through the names of Mick and Len’s current enemies. He couldn’t think of any that operated in Starling, though.

“You’re awake.”

Barry tensed as he turned his head toward the distorted voice. The man wore dark pants and a dark green jacket, the hood pulled low to hide the top half of his face. There was a composite bow in one hand and a tray holding a sandwich and soda in the other. 

“And you’re in a lot of trouble,” Barry snapped angrily.

The man moved closer, his face obscured by the shadow of the hood. “From you?” he chuckled, voice distorted electronically. 

Barry snorted and looked at the cuffs on his hands. He was lying on a cot, a thick chain leading from the cuffs to an eye-hook embedded in the wall. He sat up slowly, hating the way his head spun. “I have some very dangerous friends and when they find me, they’re going to beat your ass.”

The man set the tray on a little table and tilted his head as he stared down at Barry. “You mean Leonard Snart and Mick Rory? They’re thieves, not assassins. I do not fear them.”

“You will,” Barry said, glaring up at him. “Sure, they’re thieves, but don’t think for one minute they don’t know how to serve up a beat-down.”

The man was silent for several seconds. “You are safe here. I can protect you from their abuse,” he promised. “Neither man will ever harm you again.”

Barry’s jaw dropped. “WHAT?!” he shouted. “You take that back! Len and Mick would never hurt me!”

“They are dangerous men,” the vigilante sneered. “I am not naive, Barry Allen. I know of only one reason hardened criminals with abusive backgrounds would take in a boy almost two decades younger than them. I can help you,” he finished in a gentler tone.

Barry grabbed the soda and threw it at the man as hard as he could. “Screw you!” he shouted. “They love me!” Barry didn’t even notice as a couple of tears slipped down his cheeks. “You’re the threat! You kidnapped me! Drugged me! Len and Mick would die before they ever hurt me!”

Oliver stared at the distraught young man sadly. He had known this wouldn’t be a quick fix. Stockholm Syndrome would take time to reverse. He decided it was better to leave Barry to calm down and try again later. He left the back store room and stepped into the main room of the foundry. Dig was cleaning his guns on the other side of the room. Felicity was at her desk, watching the monitors carefully.

“Anything?” he asked, pushing back his hood.

The IT genius looked over at him hesitantly. “Maybe,” she admitted. She pressed some keys and began playing a recording from earlier in the night. Oliver watched the hotel door open and the two thieves walk in. The cameras and microphones he had planted in the room were working perfectly. 

_“Barr? We got a lead,” Snart called out. Both men paused and looked around the room. Rory walked to the small bathroom and opened the door. The two men exchanged worried looks as Len pulled out a phone and dialed. After a second there was a ringing in the room._

__

_Mick quickly located Barry’s phone on the floor beside the bed. Immediately both men began searching the room. It only took a couple of minutes for them to locate three of the four cameras Oliver had planted. Mick’s face immediately filled the lens of one._

__

_“I don’t know who you are,” the pyro growled, “but when I find out, I’ll be coming for Barry. Anything you do to him, we’ll do worse to you.” A second later the feed died as he crushed the bug. Luckily neither man noticed the one on the window latch._

__

_Len wrapped his arms around Mick and held him close. “We’re gonna find him,” the thief said gently. “We’ll get him back, safe and sound. Just like we always do.”_

__

_“This ain’t Central, Lenny,” Mick said worriedly. “There, most everyone’s learned not to fuck with our boy. What if they hurt him? Or worse?”_

__

_Len’s eyes narrowed in anger. “Call Piper. We need to figure out who the key players are. Barry’s smart. We taught him how to defend himself. He’s gonna be okay.”_

__

_“Not with that mouth,” Mick pointed out. “You know he won’t be able to play nice.”_

__

_“Which is why we’ll need to work fast. You call Piper. I’ll put some pressure on a few contacts.” Mick nodded and grabbed his phone, dialing as they left the room._

Felicity was chewing on her bottom lip as the video ended. “Are you sure they’re dangerous to Barry?” she asked. “They seem pretty concerned.”

“They’re criminals,” Oliver growled. “They used illegal means to get control of him, and even now, when he is clearly an adult, they have retained that hold.”

Felicity started to say something else, but the sharp noise of breaking glass startled them both. Oliver quickly raced back toward the store room only to find it locked. He stepped back and kicked at the space under the knob and felt the lock shatter, but when he went to shove the door open it barely budged. Dig put his shoulder to the door as well and they maneuvered it open a few inches.

He was able to see a small bit of the metal shelving now blocking the door. Shit! Oliver spun and raced through the foundry and out into the alley. He immediately spotted the small broken window. Oliver scrambled up the fire escape and began scanning the streets below. An engine roared to life on the other side of the building and he recognized the sound of his bike. By the time he got to that side of the building, the bike was speeding down the street.

Oliver grabbed an arrow and took aim. He let out a slow breath as he released the arrow. It struck the back wheel perfectly, sending the bike and Barry skidding. Oliver quickly made his way down to the street and ran forward. Guilt filled him when he saw the unconscious young man. He picked Barry up while Dig ran over and righted the bike. Together they raced back toward the foundry.

Felicity looked appalled as Oliver carefully laid Barry out on a table. There was blood seeping from a cut on his head and his wrist was bent at an awkward angle, indicating a break. More blood was soaking through his shirt. While Dig began straightening and setting Barry’s wrist, he quickly tugged Barry’s shirt up and over his head. 

That was when he saw it. 

Just under his belly button, next to some bloody road rash, was the starburst, the bond-mark that indicated Barry had a romantic soulmate. To the left of that was the soul-mark. A green arrow with a crooked shaft and red feathers. Exactly like his. Oliver swallowed hard as his hand inched toward the mark. The moment his skin met Barry's, an electric heat raced through his veins. A pained moan from the younger man made him jerk his hand away.

Barry’s eyelids fluttered slightly before slowly opening. It took a couple of seconds for him to focus on Oliver. When he did, Barry’s expression tightened and fury flashed in his hazel eyes. “Asshole,” he muttered.

Oliver narrowed his eyes. “You broke a window and hot-wired my bike,” he pointed out.

“Yeah,” Barry said, groaning as he lightly touched his head. “Cause that’s as bad as drugging and kidnapping someone.”

“I’m trying to help you,” Oliver bit out angrily. His mind was tilting and spinning. He had found his soulmate. After all this time, he had finally found his other half. Only, Barry was nothing like he had expected. For one, Barry was male. He was also a victim, even if he didn’t realize it.

“How is this helping me?” Barry demanded, flinching when Dig tied off the bandage holding the splint in place. He sat up, but immediately paled and gulped several times. Oliver pushed off the hood and reached out to steady him. Barry’s eyes widened as he got a look at Oliver’s face. “Y-you?”

Oliver looked at Dig and Felicity, signaling with his eyes for them to leave. Dig nodded and left quietly while Felicity bit her bottom lip before reluctantly following him. Once she was up the stairs and out the door Oliver unzipped his jacket and pushed it aside to reveal his own soul-mark. His designation mark had been distorted by scar tissue years ago but the arrow was perfect. “We should talk,” he said gently.

Barry glanced at the mark briefly before meeting Oliver’s eyes. “The only thing I want to talk about is you letting me go.”

Oliver couldn’t completely hide his surprise at Barry’s dismissal. “We’re soulmates.”

“No,” Barry growled. “You’re an asshole. I’m a prisoner.”

Oliver clenched his fists and tried to keep his voice calm. “I understand you think those two are your friends...”

“My family,” Barry interrupted forcefully. “They rescued me. Protect me. They sent me to college. Other than my dad, they’re the only people who ever cared about me. They’re like… like second and third fathers to me. I’m the closest thing they have to a son.”

Oliver frowned as he listened to what Barry was saying. “They aren’t… they don’t make you sleep with them?”

Barry’s jaw dropped. “Eww! No! Why would you think that?”

Oliver grimaced. “I saw you and Snart cuddling in bed.”

Barry’s eyes narrowed and he tried to push Oliver away, but ended up hissing when he moved his broken wrist. “Is there anything you won’t do?” he demanded. “Spying, drugging, kidnapping, attempted murder! How the fuck can you be my soulmate? I’d rather bond with a gorilla!”

“Everything I’ve done was to protect you!” Oliver shouted, losing his temper. “Dammit, I thought you were being abused! They’re criminals! How was I to know they were good to you?”

“You’re a criminal, too!” Barry yelled back. “Yet you expect me to trust you? Hypocrite!”

Oliver was struggling to rein in his anger, but the way Barry was glaring at him, the fire in his eyes, was strangely arousing. He briefly thought he should be shocked by that. He’d never been attracted to guys before. There was just something incredibly hot about the way Barry challenged him. “Hypocrite? I only go after evil men and women who hurt others! I have never hurt an innocent!”

Barry scoffed. “So you say. But I’ve got a broken wrist that says otherwise!”

“I thought I was protecting you!” Oliver growled yet again.

Before either of them could continue arguing there was a loud banging from upstairs. Both of them quickly turned toward the stairs just as the door exploded. Oliver immediately grabbed his bow and notched an arrow, but before he could aim, Barry was blocking his view as he raced across the room and up the stairs.

“Barry!” he shouted in alarm, running after the younger man. He took the stairs two at a time and reached the upper floor just as Barry launched himself at Rory. Oliver growled and got three steps into the room before a gun was suddenly pressing hard into his spine.

“Drop it, Robin Hood,” Snart snapped coldly.

Oliver gritted his teeth, spotting Dig and Felicity tied up by the bar. 

Barry released Rory and slipped behind the bigger man. “Don’t kill him,” Barry said reluctantly. “He’s, um, sorta my soulmate.”

All eyes locked onto Oliver with varying degrees of shock.

Barry sighed heavily. “I mean, he’s a jerk and an idiot, but if you kill him, I risk bond-psychosis.”

The gun in his back pressed harder and he knew he’d have a bruise later, before slowly moving away. Oliver was about to spin and disarm Snart when a sharp pain exploded in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay but work is exhausting and I've had little energy to write recently. The story is mostly finished, just needs editing and spell checking so no worries that it'll go unfinished. I just have to sit my butt down and actually do the work.


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing he noticed as he woke up, was the painful throbbing in his head. The second thing he noticed was that he couldn’t move. Oliver’s eyes opened and he immediately shut them against the bright light. After a couple of seconds he slowly opened them again, letting his pupils adjust. Looking down he realized he was tied to a chair. Rope was wrapped around his ankles, knees, waist, chest, elbows and wrists. Felicity was on his left and Dig was on his right. Both were similarly bound. They were also awake and looked unharmed, thankfully.

“I was beginning to think you’d sleep the day away.”

Oliver looked over and spotted Snart sitting on a table, one knee drawn up to his chest, his right arm draped over the knee, holding a gun. His other leg dangled from the table, swinging back and forth.

Snart tilted his head as he studied Oliver. “So, you’re my son’s soulmate. Gotta say, I was hoping for someone a little… better.” Snart paused, then shrugged. “Actually, I was hoping for a lot better. Breaks my ice-cold heart that Barr’s going to spend his life unbonded. Not that he minds, but a father does want the best for their kid.”

“You’re NOT his father,” Oliver growled.

“Next best thing,” Snart disagreed. “See, Mick and I? We’re the ones who raised him. Helped him with his homework. Gave him his allowance. Sat up with him when he was sick. Comforted him through his nightmares. Mick even gave him an extremely awkward ‘birds-and-bees’ talk when he turned 13. Barry Allen is as much our son as he is Doc Allen’s. Doc has said so, himself.”

Len dropped his leg down and hopped off the table so he could move closer to Oliver. He crouched down and stared at him coldly. “We found your thief. Barry already contacted the police and they arrested him two hours ago. The tech has been recovered. My soulmate and our son are packing up our things now. In a few minutes we’ll be on our way home. Now, this is how things are gonna go. You get to go back to being the Vigilante. We don’t give a shit about your name or your agenda, as long as you stay out of Central. But if I see so much as a loose feather in my city? I’ll be shouting your name from the rooftops.”

“Barry is my soulmate!” Oliver growled.

“He doesn’t want a soulmate,” Len said with a smug grin. “Never has. Especially not one who would treat him the way you have. He’s perfectly happy being unbonded. That’s not to say he’ll be alone. There are plenty of free souls back home who would love to keep him company. One or two I even halfway approve of. Just as you’ve never had any trouble finding someone willing to warm your own bed.”

Len’s eyes flickered toward Felicity who immediately blushed. “Including the one currently doing so.” Len straightened up and tucked his gun into the pocket of his jacket. “Or you could always hit back up one of the Lance sisters. Or that pretty little redhead you spend the occasional weekend with.”

Oliver paled, but kept from glancing toward Felicity. How the hell did this man know so much about him?! 

“Ms. Smoak may be a gifted hacker,” Snart smirked, “but our Piper is a fucking genius. There’s no system he can’t hack. No information he can’t find. Your phone and computer protections are a joke to him,” the thief said, obviously reading the question in Oliver’s eyes. He walked behind Oliver and pressed a tiny piece of metal into his palm. Oliver was surprised to realize it was a key. “Now, in thirteen minutes, the ice covering the key holes on your cuffs should be melted and you can set yourselves free. If you’re smart, we’ll never cross paths again.”

Oliver gritted his teeth as Snart turned and sauntered back upstairs, leaving without another word. He tugged at his bonds, but he was tied too tightly to move more than a couple of centimeters in any direction without his hands free. He growled and forced himself to wait.

“How long?” Felicity asked in a weak tone.

Oliver hesitated a moment before turning toward her. “How long what?”

She didn’t look at him, but he could hear the anger and jealousy in her voice. “How long have you known Barry is your soulmate? How long were you going to keep stringing me along?” she bit out.

Oliver suppressed a flinch. “You knew we weren’t soulmates,” he pointed out softly.

“I didn’t know you had met yours,” she accused. “I thought you didn’t have a romantic soulmate!”

“I didn’t know Barry was my soulmate until after he tried to escape,” Oliver admitted.

“But you knew you had a romantic bond,” she snapped.

Oliver nodded. “I did.”

“Then why would you...” Felicity sucked in a shaky breath. She let it out slowly, her breathing hitching as she tried not to sob. “I love you,” she whispered.

Oliver flinched and looked down. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “But I told you in the beginning I was only interested in something casual. I never lied to you.”

“You just used me,” she said bitterly.

“And you used me,” he countered, tired of being painted as a villain. Felicity looked at him with anger and he rolled his eyes. “You saw me as a way to move up at QC. I’m not stupid, Felicity. I’ve been perfectly happy to buy your condo, your clothes and your computers. I’ve got more money than I know what to do with. But don’t act like this was purely a love affair. I wanted a warm body in my bed and you wanted funding. We both benefited.”

“You’re an asshole,” she hissed.

“Yet another thing you knew before we ever fell into bed,” he snapped back at her.

Thankfully Felicity fell silent and Dig kept his mouth shut. Oliver tried to relax his muscles as he waited for the ice to melt. He focused on the drops of cold water dripping down his fingers and tried to gauge how much the ice had melted.

“I’m sorry,” Felicity whispered. 

Oliver closed his eyes briefly before turning to look at her. “So am I,” he admitted. “I should have told you. As a friend, I should have told you everything.”

She gave a wry smile and shrugged. “I knew. Or at least, I suspected. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself. You’re sexy and smart and, yes, rich, so I wanted you to have a platonic soulmate.” She sighed softly and tried to shift her arms. “What are you going to do now?”

Oliver had been asking himself that very same question. 

***

The first thing he did was reach out to an old friend, Tommy Merlyn, who had moved to Central back when Oliver was still missing. Tommy’s company had branched out to Central, partnering with Mercury Labs. He didn’t tell Tommy about Barry, instead focusing on renewing their former friendship. While he did plan on asking Tommy to keep tabs on Barry for him until he figured out a way to repair the rift between them, he really had missed his oldest friend. This was the perfect excuse to renew that bond. 

It was slow going for the first couple of months, since both of them were busy men. Weekly phone calls eventually grew more frequent and Oliver made a quick trip to Central for a gala Merlyn Inc. was hosting. Tommy came to Starling twice, once for the opening of Verdant and once for Thea’s birthday. A few more months passed and they grew closer. It was wonderful. Oliver had actually forgotten how much he liked having a close friend who knew nothing about the Vigilante. When Tommy mentioned that Mercury Labs and Merlyn Inc were hosting a charity auction, Oliver immediately accepted the invitation. Maybe he could even 'accidentally' run into Barry while he was there.

***

“Ollie! You’re right on time,” Tommy greeted, opening the door of his penthouse and waving Oliver inside. 

Oliver grinned and set his overnight bag down to give Tommy a quick hug. “Right on time for what?” he asked.

“My boyfriend is on his way over so I get to introduce you two,” Tommy answered.

“I didn’t even know you were seeing someone,” Oliver teased. 

Tommy gave a sappy smile. “I wasn’t until recently. He lives two floors below me and we met when he moved in two months ago. I must have asked him out a dozen times before he finally said yes. Wait until you meet him, Ollie. He’s as close to perfect as they get. Smart, cute, funny and a real demon in bed.”

“You always did have good taste,” Oliver laughed. Just then the front door opened and Oliver’s good mood dropped just as fast as his jaw did. 

“Barry?”  
“Barry!”

Tommy and Oliver turned to look at one another. “You know each other?” they both said at the same time.

“Goddammit,” Barry mumbled.

* * *

Oliver glared as Barry dropped down onto the sofa beside Tommy who was looking stunned. Barry rolled his eyes at him before turning and placing a hand on Tommy’s cheek and turning his head to face him.

“Want me to fix you a drink?” he asked softly.

Tommy stared at Barry for several seconds. “I… this…” He paused and took a deep breath. “Okay, so you told me before we got together that you had a romantic soulmate. You told me you had met but that you didn’t want anything to do with him. Now you’re telling me that Oliver Queen is your soulmate.”

Barry nodded. “I didn’t realize you two knew one another or I would have told you his name then.”

“We grew up together,” Tommy mumbled.

“My condolences,” Barry muttered under his breath.

Tommy’s eyes narrowed. “Wait. I’ve seen your mark because we’ve slept together. How did he?” he demanded, pointing to Oliver.

“It was when I was in Starling,” Barry shrugged. “I got hurt and he saw it when my shirt was removed to clean up some blood.”

Oliver was grateful Barry didn’t mention the reason he got hurt but he didn’t like the nonchalant dismissal in Barry’s voice. “We sort of got off on the wrong foot even before that,” he admitted. 

Barry snorted and rolled his eyes. “You accused me of industrial espionage.”

“I didn’t know you!” Oliver shot back. 

Tommy’s head swung from one to the other. After a moment he inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. “I just have one question,” he said stiffly.

Barry cupped Tommy’s cheeks and leaned in to kiss him softly. “I don’t give a damn about soulmarks or destined mates or any of that crap,” he said firmly. “I choose my own path. I like you, Tommy. I like spending time with you. I like cooking for you. I like our movie nights and our weird debates over music and curling up on the sofa and falling asleep watching stupid infomercials. So, as long as you want me here, I’m here.”

Oliver’s heart shattered as he watched Tommy relax and smile tenderly at Barry. When Tommy pulled Barry close for a more heated kiss, he picked up his bag and walked off to the guest room. He closed the door and dropped his bag before sitting on the side of the bed and dragging both hands down his face. Now what?

* * * 

He knew Barry had gone home not long after he retired to the guest room, because Tommy knocked and offered him a late meal. It was awkward for ten minutes until they started talking about the upcoming auction. Oliver was surprised to find it was a bachelor auction and that Tommy was going to be one of the ‘bachelors’. 

“I agreed before Barry finally accepted a date,” Tommy explained. “I offered to withdraw, but Barry convinced me to go through with it. It’s for a good charity, after all. I even offered to bank him so he could bid on me, but he turned that down, too.”

That was surprising to Oliver. “He’s really okay with you going out with someone else, even if it’s a charity thing?”

Tommy nodded, smiling wistfully. “He said he gets me every other night, and he knows he can trust me.”

Oliver swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat. “Yeah, he, um, seems like a sensible guy.”

Tommy frowned in thought. “You two really don’t know each other, do you? I mean, I would have thought that being soulmates, you would know more about each other.”

Oliver forced himself to remain relaxed and gave Tommy a shrug. “I screwed up,” he admitted. “I wasn’t very… nice when we met. Treated him like an enemy. He told me he didn’t want a soulmate like me. Can’t blame him. Ever since the island...” Oliver paused and tried to find the words he wanted.

Tommy gave him a sympathetic look. “I get it,” he said gently. “Look, I’m sure this is very strange, for all of us. I really like Barry. I think we have something good. My own soulbond is a platonic one. She is a lot older than me, too; more like a mentor than a soulmate, to be honest. But I would guess that romantic soulmates have a bond, even if they never act on it.”

Oliver had a fleeting urge to encourage Tommy to end the relationship. He wanted his soulmate. But Tommy had been his friend for decades. Barry wanted nothing to do with him, even before Tommy came into the picture. Did he really have the right to interfere? He couldn’t ignore the looks that had passed between Tommy and Barry. They might not have admitted it yet, but they were in love. 

Oliver shook his head. “I’d like to see if Barry and I can at least be friends. We are soulmates, after all. But we live in different cities. We lead different lives. We have nothing in common. Not to mention, he seems pretty gone on you,” Oliver said with a weak smile.

Tommy’s own smile was hopeful. “You think so? We haven’t been together long, but he’s wonderful, Ollie. I think we could be very good for one another.”

Oliver gathered up every last shred of his composure and nodded. “You’ve been my best friend for most of our lives, Tommy. I want you to be happy. I think you should go for it.”

Tommy studied Oliver for a moment before relaxing and nodding. “Thanks, Ollie. You’re the best, man.”


	4. Chapter 4

Oliver gave a bland smile to the waitress as she set his coffee on the table. She smiled back, eyeing him with interest, but he was too stressed to respond. He glanced at his watch, even though he knew his company was chronically late for everything. With anyone else, that would be annoying, but if there was anything he had learned over the last ten years, it was that Barry Allen was his exception to all the rules. 

Even after all this time, Barry was still the only man Oliver had ever been attracted to. He was the one person who never feared Oliver, always more than happy to call him out when he was being an ass. He was also the one person always there for Oliver. If he was angry, it was almost guaranteed that Barry would be by his side within the hour. If he was sad or down, Barry would show up with coffee and some pastries, possibly even a dvd for them to watch. Once, when he had been injured and trapped, Barry had appeared out of nowhere, Mick and Len by his side, to rescue Oliver and get him to safety. When Oliver decided to put aside the vigilante life and run for mayor, Barry was his biggest supporter.

It wasn’t one-sided, either. When Barry and Tommy decided to move back to Star City a year into their relationship, he helped them move boxes and furniture, grateful to have both men so close again. When Tommy wanted to propose, Oliver helped him plan the perfect evening. He got spectacularly drunk that night, but by morning he managed to put aside his jealousy and be happy for them. When they got married, he was there as Tommy’s best man. It was a bit harder to ignore his own feelings that day, but seeing Barry’s happiness helped.

Misery began seeping through Oliver and he sat up straighter, looking out the window to the parking lot. Not even a full minute later he spotted Barry crossing the lot. His head was down and his hands in his pockets. Oliver swallowed hard as Barry faltered for a second, looking up and meeting Oliver’s eyes through the window. 

“Shit,” Oliver whispered, scrambling to his feet and hurrying to the door. He stepped outside just as Barry reached for the handle. He didn’t even hesitate to pull Barry into his arms. His heart broke for his soulmate as Barry melted into him, a ragged sob muted by his jacket. Oliver hugged Barry tighter and murmured soothingly to him as he shuffled them sideways out of the doorway.

“I… I c-can’t…” Barry said brokenly. “He… it's not good… oh god, Ollie!”

Oliver sighed and held Barry tighter. “I know, Barr. I know.”

***

Oliver slumped in the plastic chair as he scrubbed at his eyes. The steady beeping of the monitor beside the bed was beginning to give him a headache.

“You don’t have to sit with me, you know.”

Oliver looked up with a smile. “I promised,” he reminded Tommy. “You and I both know there is no way Barry would go home and get some sleep unless I was here.”

Tommy rolled his eyes but didn’t disagree. He knew his husband well. “Yeah, but you’re the mayor of Star City. Don’t you have a rep to maintain?”

Oliver leaned closed and took Tommy’s hand in his. “There is nowhere I’d rather be. You’re my best friend.”

Tommy sighed and nodded. “I know,” he said softly. “You’ve been the best of friends to me. A brother.”

Oliver started to shake his head but Tommy weakly held up his other hand to stop his words. 

“Ol..." Tommy exhaled shakily. “Ollie, you gave up your soulmate for me. You love him. I know you do. I can see it in your eyes whenever you hear his name or see his face. But you stepped aside. You didn’t claim him, physically. You let us be together and be happy. You stayed, too. God, that must have been so hard. I can’t even imagine. But you did it for us. You supported us, even when the press found out you two were soulmates and tried to vilify us. These past ten years… You gave us both such a gift.”

Oliver swallowed hard and dropped his eyes to their clasped hands. “You’re my family,” he whispered. “Barry, too.”

“Do you remember when we went to Cancun five years ago?” Tommy asked with a tired smile.

Again Oliver swallowed as emotions threatened to choke him. How could he forget that trip? It was the one and only time he and Barry ever kissed. It was the night they somehow forged a partial bond, allowing them to feel each other’s emotions.

It had been Len and Mick’s big vow renewal and everyone had gotten spectacularly drunk. At some point in the night, Tommy had decided he absolutely, unequivocally, desperately needed to go out on the water in this old rowboat. He had dragged a giggly Barry with him and Oliver went along to keep them from drowning. After much giggling (from Barry), almost overturning three times (due to Tommy) and more than a handful of curses (Oliver), the three of them managed to row out to a floating platform and Oliver had dragged both men onto it so they could lay down safely. 

Barry had pointed out a few constellations at first, but before long he was making up new ones, like the Captain Cold, made up of a cluster of stars that vaguely formed a snowflake shape or the Heatwave, three small orange-ish stars. Tommy had laughed and teased Barry a bit before asking where his favorite was. Barry had been quiet for a long moment before pointing to Sagittarius. Oliver had felt his heart skip a beat or two when Barry shifted and rolled onto his side. He had pulled Tommy around until he was draped along Barry’s back before slowly reaching out and cupping Oliver’s jaw. 

For several long, intense seconds, Oliver and Barry had stared at one another. Just when it was beginning to be too much, Barry had leaned forward and kissed him gently. For Oliver, it was as if the world stopped turning. Everything ceased to exist but the feel of Barry’s lips on his.

Then reality came crashing back as Barry ended the kiss and pulled away. Not a day has gone by since that night that Oliver hasn’t thought about Barry’s next words.

‘I love you, Oliver. I love you for letting me go. I love you for staying here. I love you for loving Tommy as much as you do. You’re a good man and we’re both so lucky to have you.’

The rest of the trip was both wonderful and painful because something settled inside him that night. He finally made peace with the fact that, even though Barry was his soulmate, they weren’t destined for one another. 

“I remember,” Oliver answered. 

“When this is over, when I’m gone…”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Oliver interrupted.

Tommy shot him a stern look. “Ollie, when everything is done, I want you to take him back there.”

“Tommy, you can’t give up,” Oliver argued. 

“I’m not,” the dark haired man said firmly. “But I’m not stupid, either. It’s spread to my lungs and heart. Stage 4. I’ve already talked to Barry.” Tommy grimaced slightly. “He can be more stubborn than you and I put together, but we all know what this means. I’ve got another few months and I need to make sure you are prepared. That you and Barry can deal.”

Oliver wanted to deny it. He wanted to argue. There were still more treatments to go through. More tests to perform. Scientists were coming up with alternative treatments all the time.

“I don’t want to spend the last bit of time I have left in this damn bed, wasting away and waiting to die,” Tommy growled. “I want to go home. I want to hold my husband. I want to watch movies and laugh and drink and eat and _fucking live_ , Ollie!”

A coughing fit hit and it took a couple of minutes for Tommy to catch his breath again. It was long enough for Oliver to admit that, in his place, Oliver would feel the same.

“Barry’s getting things ready at home,” Tommy wheezed. “I know it’s not fair. I know it’s a shitty thing to do, putting you in this situation, but we both want you to come stay with us, if you can. Barry needs you and so do I.”

“You know I will,” Oliver promised. “Whatever you need. Whatever Barry needs.”

Tommy relaxed and nodded. “You know, even without the bow, you’re still my hero.”

And you are mine, Oliver thought to himself as he pressed his forehead to Tommy’s hand. “You made my soulmate happy and you helped me heal. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you,” he promised.

***

Their first few weeks at the beach house were dark. Barry spent much of his time in bed, grieving for Tommy. Oliver spent most of his sitting on the sand watching the waves, grieving almost as much.

Tommy’s last couple of weeks had been so bittersweet. He was weak and got tired so easily, so he rarely left the nest of pillows and blankets Barry had built in the living room. The three of them would cuddle and watch corny movies or play card games. Len and Mick came to visit on the weekends, helping out however they could. Thea, Lisa and Laurel handled as much of his mayoral duties as they could so he didn’t have to spend much time in the office. 

Tommy passed away quietly while Mick and Barry were cooking. One minute he was watching them fondly and the next time they looked his way, he was gone. 

Oliver’s still not sure how he and Barry got through the next few days. It was hazy, those memories. He knew they had followed the arrangements Tommy and Barry had made ahead of time. He knew they had the funeral and memorial. He knew they had spent a couple of days surrounded by friends and family. He does remember Thea and Lisa packing his and Barry’s bags and driving them to the jet. He remembers meeting Dig at the small airport and being driven here. He remembers Dig hugging them both and leaving them alone.

Most of his thoughts, though, were filled with night after night of him and Barry curled up together in bed, clinging to one another as if afraid the other would disappear.

A soft sound pulled Oliver from his thoughts and he turned to watch as Barry shuffled closer, a thin blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He dropped down onto the sand beside him and leaned in close so their shoulders were pressed together. For the first time in weeks, Oliver felt the hurt, the grief, inside him lessen a bit. 

“Barry?” he whispered. A faint sigh reached his ears as Barry settled against him more.

“I don’t know what to do,” the younger man admitted softly.

Oliver shifted until he could wrap an arm around his soulmate’s shoulders. “Me either,” he admitted.

Barry was silent for several minutes before tilting his head to look up at him. “Whatever it is, we’ll do it together, right?” he asked hopefully.

Oliver found enough strength to give Barry a gentle smile. “Right.”

Whatever came their way, they would handle it together, as they were meant to do. They would never fully bond. They would never be mated. But they were soulmates and they loved one another. It was enough for them both.


End file.
